Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is a capability that a network provides to users, which allows a mobile user to change subscribed networks in the same country rather than change the original MSISDN number. The realization of the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) will protect the benefits of the users, facilitate equal competition, improve network efficiency and decrease the related cost.
In general, there are three existing schemes for realizing the Mobile Number Portability (MNP): an intelligent network scheme, a signaling relay scheme using STP (Signal Transfer Point) mode to realize MNP_STP (Mobile Number Portability Signaling Transfer Point), and a forward transfer scheme. An intelligent network scheme and a forward transfer scheme are used for solving the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) of voice services, and MNP_STP signaling relay scheme is used for solving the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) of the voice services and non-voice services. According to physical requirements and conditions of a network used by operating agents, the implementation details of these schemes are different. The principle for realizing the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) by the intelligent network and the MNP_STP signaling relay have been introduced in <<ESTI GSM 03.66>>. However, schemes for realizing Mobile Number Portability (MNP) are not explicit specifically. Thus, there is a need for a method that is based on intelligent network technology and is implemented in the intelligent networks to realize Mobile Number Portability (MNP). Such method has not been mentioned in any associated known protocols or employed by any operating agent who has developed MNP.
For realizing the services of the Mobile Number Portability (MNP), by aiming at mobile networks which already have large scale networks and a plurality of users, the disadvantages that are present in the above three kinds of schemes are more or less as follows:
(1) The disadvantages of employing the MNP_STP signaling relay scheme include that:
1. The signaling networks need to be rebuilt, the direct links need to be modified to a mode that they are not connected directly, thereby significantly affecting the prior networks;
2. Each time when a mobile service is being called, it may go through the MNP_STP, even though there are only a few users during an early period;
3. If it is based on a scheme introduced by <<ESTI GSM 03.66>>, realizing the interworking between operating agents is required.
(2) The disadvantages of employing the intelligent network scheme introduced in <<ESTI GSM 03.66>> specification include that:
1. For an apparatus of a Visited Mobile Switch Center (VMSC) and a Gateway Mobile Switch Center (GMSC) of the entire network, software often needs to be upgraded;
2. Only Mobile Number Portability (MNP) of the voice Switch s can be solved. The Mobile Number Portability (MNP) services of the non-voice services cannot be solved.
(3) The disadvantages of the forward transfer scheme include that:
1. A call list introduced by the forward transfer scheme may be produced in the Visited Mobile Switch Center (VMSC) and the Gateway Mobile Switch Center (GMSC). However, a call list cannot be used for metering or calculating fees. Also, it may be necessary to identify a call list and/or delete the call list by a metering center. Thus, an operating system is required to manage these types of operations.
2. The effects of the failures will damage services of a caller and damage forward transfer services of a user being called.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,017 disclosed a method of routing calls to portable numbers in a radio telecommunications network.